The total dollars available for sponsored programs are far exceeded by those sought by competing proposals. Declination of a proposal does not necessarily mean that it was not well-conceived or presented; indeed, it may have received favorable reviews.

It is discouraging to spend a great deal of time and effort developing a proposal only to have it declined without knowing the reasons. The proposer may want to request whatever comments are available from the agency so he/she can determine why the proposal was not funded. In many cases the proposer may want to make appropriate changes in the proposal, based on reviewer's comments, and resubmit the proposal.

The staff of the ORS would appreciate the PI sharing the reviewers' comments. Often the comments will allow the ORS to recognize important trends in sponsor attitude which can be used throughout the University.